


Extraordinarily Large Orange Fleece

by danceswithgary



Series: Screen Savor [16]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Photography
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-26
Updated: 2011-02-26
Packaged: 2017-10-15 23:30:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/166006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithgary/pseuds/danceswithgary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John always wins when it comes to Rodney's old fleece. Set in the <b>Screen Savor</b> 'verse, after <i>No Walls Between</i>. May be read standalone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Extraordinarily Large Orange Fleece

"I didn't pack this. How did you…." Rodney turned from the open drawer to frown in John's direction while waving the offending item of clothing. "Has your duffel somehow transformed into the equivalent of Lara Croft's magical backpack that holds an impossible number of items?"

Sprawled across the king-sized bed that dominated their suite, John grinned back at him. "You should know by now that I'm not going to let you get rid of that. It's my favorite."

"I haven't thrown it away yet, have I?" Rodney rolled his eyes and turned back to the bureau, but John rolled off the bed and snatched the orange fleece before Rodney could shove it to the back of the drawer. He laughed and held it over his head and out of Rodney's reach, taking advantage of the scant difference in their heights to frustrate Rodney's sputtering efforts. "Give me that!"

John shook his head and hid his prize behind his back. "Uh-uh. I want you to wear it today, Mer."

"Don't you 'Mer' me! I'm not wearing that, that raggedy-looking thing to Jeannie's house!" Rodney lunged forward, ending up in John's arms, the fleece pressed against the middle of his back as John pulled him close. Rodney stopped struggling with a sigh and a grumbled, "You know perfectly well that she'll start in on me being too cheap to buy new clothes."

"No, she won't." John pressed a quick kiss to the tip of Rodney's nose just to see him wrinkle it up in irritation. "She's been having too much fun spending our money on the wedding arrangements to think you're pinching pennies."

John rolled his eyes along with Rodney at the reminder of what Jeannie had in store for them two short days away. He'd done the big wedding thing with Nancy and hated it, so he'd have been happy just standing in front of a local judge to exchange vows, just as they had a week ago in Vermont. Jeannie, however, had insisted on more for their second ceremony - including inviting John's father and brother. When they'd arrived at the Miller's house the day before, and he witnessed Jeannie's excitement in person, John had to admit it had been worth the compromises and the flood of emails they'd exchanged. Smiling at the memory, John snatched one more kiss before saying, "Now, finish getting dressed. We're late and Jeannie's making pancakes."

John wasn't surprised when Rodney's stubborn frown disappeared at the reminder. "With real maple syrup and Jeannie promised real bacon, and I wasn't the one who slowed us down this morning. Not that it wasn't worth the delay, of course." He pulled back from John's loosening grasp after a not-so-quick kiss that had John considering going in for seconds, Rodney's smile making it clear he knew exactly what he'd done to John.

"We could call and cancel, order room service." John suggested, tossing the fleece on a nearby chair in order to grab Rodney's hands and tug him toward the bed. When Rodney playfully shook his head and resisted, John pulled out the big guns. "Come on…husband."

"Totally unfair!" Rodney protested, laughing as he struggled to break free. "Making me choose between you and Jeannie's pancakes!"

John pretended to consider his options before releasing him in good-natured defeat. "Okay, you're right. You can have sex with me pretty much anytime, but pancakes and maple syrup and Canadian bacon…." He raised Rodney's left hand to his lips and kissed the shiny new addition on it, just to watch Rodney act as if he thought John was being 'too mushy,' although more than once John had caught him examining the ring with a soft look on his face. Releasing Rodney's hand, John stepped around him to retrieve the fleece, handing it to Rodney while employing just a hint of the pout he knew Rodney couldn't resist. "Consider wearing it as a wedding present from you to me."

"Wedding present? But, I already gave you…." Rodney glanced longingly at the bed before accepting the fleece with a much put upon sigh. He tugged it on while John grabbed the rental car keys from the nightstand. "You are so lucky that I love you."

John was quite aware that his grin was infuriatingly smug as he held the hotel room door open for Rodney. "I know."

  


"Sheesh, Mer. You're not still wearing that ratty old thing? It's not as if you can't afford new clothes. You must be pinching those pennies so hard they can hear them squeaking in...another galaxy."

"Ha, so very ha."

John winced at Jeannie's flippant observation and then mouthed a silent apology, as Rodney glared at him and zipped up the much-maligned fleece with an irritated jerk. He was well aware that Rodney would have conveniently 'forgotten' it in the car but - fortunately for John's planned distraction from pre-wedding jitters - a spring rain had forced Rodney to don the berry-stained, slightly frayed jacket for the walk from the parking lot to the museum. John actually envied him the soft warmth because his turtleneck did little to protect him from the chilly drizzle while they waited for Kaleb to extract Bradley's stroller from the trunk.

Madison smiled up at John and offered her bright yellow umbrella when he shivered and brushed a few droplets from his hair. "Here, Uncle John. If you bend over a bit, you can share with me."

"Thanks, sweetheart, but I'll be fine," John assured her with a fond smile. "It's not very far and I'm sort of used to walking around in all sorts of weather."

"Yes, well, I don't want to spend the remainder of my honeymoon nursing Colonel My-Hair-Keeps-Me-Warm through pneumonia because he didn't have the common sense to bring a coat, so let's get going, shall we?" Suiting his actions to his suggestion, Rodney grabbed John's hand and tugged him along the sidewalk, leaving the Millers to follow at their own speed.

"Can we count the bottles again, Daddy?" Madison asked a few minutes later, while they stood in line for admission. "I remember how many they used - two thousand, five hundred, and sixty!"

"Oh, I'd completely forgotten about the…." Jeannie's smile was brilliant when she turned toward John. "But _you_ knew all along, didn't you? That's why you suggested taking Madison to the museum."

"Knew what?" asked Rodney, glancing up from the brochure he'd grabbed from the counter. John thought he'd have to reveal the surprise early, but then Madison provided the perfect distraction by accidentally rolling the stroller over Rodney's foot. "Ow! Careful, Maddy! Did you pack lead weights in the diaper bag, Jeannie? You know, I didn't come all this way to end up wearing a cast with my tux."

"You're fine, McKay. You've had worse and walked for miles afterward." John winked at Jeannie, finished paying for all of them, and then plucked the colorful map from Rodney's hands before he could unfold it. "Patience, grasshopper. You'll find out when we get there."

OOne unsuccessful grab later, Rodney huffed and folded his arms in defeat, not bothering to attempt taking another. "Fine, but I hate secrets. You should know that by now."

As they followed the signs pointing to _SweaterLodge Unlatched_ , John wrapped an arm around Rodney's waist and pulled him close, then pressed a kiss to his temple. "You'll like this one, Mer."

A reluctant smile tugged at the corners of Rodney's mouth. "What happens if I don't?"

John thought for a moment then leaned in to whisper, "Then I'll make it up to you. I promise. And if I you agree it's cool, then I get to choose my prize." He grinned when Rodney shivered against him, enjoying how his blue eyes widened before he muttered something that sounded like "Not playing fair, Sheppard."

Madison left the stroller in Kaleb's capable hands and ran ahead, kicking off her sneakers next to a wall built of empty two-liter pop bottles. Rodney tilted his head and John smiled at the puzzlement that changed to rueful surprise when Rodney finally caught sight of the large poster explaining the exhibit. "You brought me to see a giant orange fleece?"

"Yep. Eighteen times human scale, four stories tall, and made from the same number of recycled bottles that Madison is counting." John steadied Rodney as he toed off his shoes while silently absorbing the specs John had already checked out on the museum's website. "The artists' were making a statement about consumerism and the environment. Thought you might appreciate that."

Rodney nodded and followed Madison, the sound of whale song and chimes a gentle counterpoint to her diligent counting. Already convinced that his surprise was a winner, John flashed a thumbs-up at Jeannie, who smiled and continued rummaging through the diaper bag Kaleb was steadying for her. She suddenly crowed in success and held up a camera, saying, "Go on and catch up with him. I definitely need a picture of you two in there."

John clicked his socked heels together with a gently mocking two-fingered salute and did just as Jeannie ordered. It wasn't hard to find Rodney inside; the exhibit had been around for over a year and not very crowded. The orange glow of the illuminated fleece added bright warmth to Rodney's complexion, although John was fairly certain there was also some blushing involved after he slid his arm around Rodney's waist and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "See, I'm not the only one who has a thing for orange fleece."

Of course, John had expected that it wouldn't be that easy to get Rodney to admit the coolness of John's secret, and Rodney proved him right with a huffy retort. "I'm pretty sure you are, however, the only one who has - shall we say - a certain reaction to it."

John shook his head and pulled away, crossing his arms as he disagreed with a teasing grin. "Nope, you're wrong about that." After looking around to pinpoint Madison's location, John leaned in again to whisper, "According to an article I read, they took an unofficial poll when it was on display in Venice and it was voted 'The place that people were most likely to shag in.'

When Rodney dropped his head to John's shoulder, rendered helpless by sputtered laughter, John decided that victory had never tasted quite so sweet.

Or looked so very, very orange.

  


**Author's Note:**

> Notes: This was all mashimero's [fault](http://mashimero.livejournal.com/138485.html?mode=reply&style=mine ) and I made it fit the [McSheplets Challenge #92 - Gift](http://community.livejournal.com/mcsheplets/246081.html). I'm invoking literary license and the exhibit was still in town when John and Rodney visited, although it was likely late spring of 2012 in this 'verse's timeline.


End file.
